Iran Warns Israeli Nuclear Arsenal Undermines Global Non-Proliferation Regime

Iran’s mission to international organizations in Vienna has warned that Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons and its refusal to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) pose a serious challenge to the credibility of the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation system. Speaking at the 67th session of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization’s Working Group B, the Iranian delegation said Israel’s continued refusal to join the NPT and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) has allowed it to avoid international requirements concerning transparency, safeguards, verification and disarmament.

The Iranian delegation called on the international community to address Israel’s nuclear status as an integral part of efforts to strengthen the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation framework. Israel maintains a policy of nuclear ambiguity and has not officially acknowledged possessing nuclear weapons, while international assessments commonly estimate that it has a substantial nuclear arsenal.

Iran argued that Israel’s refusal to permit inspections of its nuclear facilities or become a party to the NPT creates a significant imbalance in the region’s nuclear framework. In contrast, Iran is a signatory to the NPT and has maintained cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), making the issue of equal application of non-proliferation obligations a central element of Tehran’s position.